San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-04
THE VIRGIN QUEEN.
Mrs. ID. p. Bowers Makes Hit In Her
Great Play of Elizabeth"

Mrs. d. p. Bowers Makes Hit in Her
Great Play Elizabeth
The play Of Elizabeth, as produced by
Mrs. ID. p. Bowers company at the
Grand Opera house last evening, Is
based mainly upon Queen Elizsbeth's al
legged love for Robert Deveroux. Earl OF
Leicester, woven with such other his
toric incidents as tend to increase it's in
terest. The incidents are strongly dra-
matte. the language OF the play excel
lent, and on the whole IL u one calcula.
ted to PLEASE the public, although it may
not present an accurate historical pic
ture. or course all interest WAS centre
10 Mrs. ID. p. Bowers Impersonation of
the Virgin Queen, for which she has re-
ceiyed hign commentators In New
York, Washington. Boston aud other
great cities, and she soon proved that
she was a great actress aud deserved
the praise that she had received. In the
acts the QUEENS anger against Shakes
peare for writing the play OF her father,
Henry VIiI,tbe way in which her vanity
IA played upon by his pleader, Sir
Francis Bacon, to such a degree
that her anger Is turned to pride, and
she orders the isterdicted play to be
performed, her resentment OF the fallen
Ieicestfr's arrogance. her jealousy OF
Lady Sarah Howard, Essex's fret love,
her dual dictation ofletters of different
tenor. one OF hsttered pride, the other
OF anger, her love for Essex, her jealousy
and hatred OF Mary Queen OF Scots.
her bypocracy to Mary's son, James vi,
OF Scotland, her martial spirit on hear.
ing Of the Armada expedition, her
struggles between pride and love In
hnt a. 10. n.
TO leave the throne and slap Essex's
face, her womanly conduct TO Mary's
favorite, Margret Lambrun, her struggle
with anger and love because Essex will
not seek her clemancy, In which Anger
oonquers and leads her to sign the favor
ties death warrant her renorse on hear
ing of NOttingham's deception. and her
last days In which she clings to the
crown were acted In such realistic
way as to excite general n, miration and
frequent recalls. Mrs. Bowers Is
some W hat too small for the character. but
she makes up well, and has a juyenaIity
that seems TO Gisprove the facG that she
delighted old citizens many years ago.
She has voice OF great flexlbility and
dramatic power, the essential OF the
character and characteristic OF the semi
mssculinity Of Elizabeth. The charac-
ter ia indeed a great one, and deserving
~ the success IL attained.
or Mr.. Joseph WheelOck's Essex we
must speak In high praise. He present.
ed good impersonstion In all respects
OF the manly Essex. In the scene Whgre
he breaks the bonds OF the courtier and
asserts his manhood, resenting the in
dignities Of the Queen, he was indeed
grand.
Mr.. Mark Lynch's James the vi WAS
also good impersOnatior, but he was
TOO swarthy for the Scotch king; more
over, he seems to have forgotten that the
king spoke with strong Scottish accent
I'm ii he died. These things marred the
imporsonatiOn TO the scholar and the
critic.
The remainder Of the characters we're
fairly well played and did good service
in making the success of the play.
Tonight Mrs. Bowers will play In
Marie Stuart, detailing the life and trials
OF the great Scottish queen.
The public should note that the drual
bill, The Jealouc Wife," and "Lucretia
Borgia." has been witbdraw n for We'd
nesday night, and In their stead, Mrs.
Bowers, will By request, present her
great impersOnation OF Lady Macbeth"
In Shakespeare's famous tragedy.